#meadow press

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It’s Fine Press Friday!

Maxine Hong Kingston’s (b. 1940) Hawai’i One Summer was published at Meadow Press in San Francisco, CA in 1987, in a limited edition of seventy-five. Leigh McLellan printed the text in Times New Roman on Korean Kozo Paper, assisted by Tracy Davis. MacKenzie-Harris Corporation set the type, and was adjusted by hand. John Prestianni designed the lettering for the title page and text initials. Watercolor and woodcut artist Deng Ming-Dao (b.1954) illustrated the book, and McLellan made the vibrant paste paper cover. The Davey board case binding is by Klaus-Ullrich Roetzscher. The copy is signed by the author, illustrator, and printer.

In 1988, American Craft Council concluded a three-part series on book arts in the United States, with a profile of McLellan, and her work on Kingston’s text. Noting the rich use of color, W. Thomas Taylor suggests the book works to capture “graphically, the elusive quality of Hawai’i” – a concern shared with Kingston in her introduction. Taylor wonders at the purpose of such books as works of art – since, more often than not, they end up in institutional collections. But he recounts the experience of reading this Meadow Press edition of Hawai’i One Summer with his wife, slowly, aloud, in bed. The book, he argues, the experience, is not just beautiful, it “stimulates an appreciation for the purposes of the author by its very presentation of her words.”

This book comes to us from the estate of Dennis Bayuzick.

See more books from Dennis Bayuzick.

See other posts highlighting Leigh McLellan's work.

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Check out more beautiful Fine Press Friday books!

-- Amanda, Special Collections Graduate Intern

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In Memoriam: Charles Simic, 1938-2023

The Serbian-born American poet Charles Simic passed away this Monday, January 9, 2023. In memory of him and his work, we are sharing two pieces that feature his poetry that are illustrated with wood engravings. Simic was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1990, a MacArthur Foundation “genius grant,” the Griffin International Poetry Prize, the Wallace Stevens Award, and an appointment as US poet laureate.

The first item shown here is a broadside published by Charles Seluzicki in 1981, printed at the Meadow Press with a wood engraving by Sarah Chamberlain. It features the poem “Interlude” by Simic, and is signed by both Simic and the printer/designer, Leigh McLellan. 

The second piece shown here is the book Shaving at Night by Charles Simic, with three wood engravings by Helen Siegl, published in 1982 also printed and designed by the Meadow Press. Each engraving accompanies a poem from the book. 

When I was in college, I remember reading a Charles Simic prose poem that had something to do with trees in a literature class (I can’t for the life of me remember the title), and I just remember the image it created in my head and thinking “wow.” I hope that Simic’s work will continue to inspire young poets and readers for many years to come. May he rest in peace. 

View more posts with work by Charles Simic.

View more posts with work by Sarah Chamberlain.

View more posts with work by Helen Siegl.

View our other In Memoriam posts.

-- Alice, Special Collections Department Manager

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It’s Fine Press Friday!

This week we present Shaving at Night poems by Charles Simic, illustrated with woodcuts by Helen Siegl, and published by the Meadow Press in San Francisco in 1982 in an edition of 200 copies, printed and bound by Leigh McLellan. The typeface is Spectrum on Frankfurt white paper, and the book was handsewn and case-bound into Tiziano Roma sides with a cloth spine. All copies are signed by the poet and the illustrator. Our copy of Shaving at Night was another generous donation from our friend Jerry Buff.

View more posts featuring art by Helen Siegl.

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–Sarah, Special Collections Graduate Assistant

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It’s Fine Press Friday!

This week we present Dead Color, poems by Charles Wright, printed in 1980 in an edition of 285 copies by Leigh McLellan at the Meadow Press in San Francisco for Charles Seluzicki, Fine Books in Salem, Oregon. It features four woodcut illustrations by McLellan. All copies signed by the author and artist. The text type is Centaur with Arrighi titling. The paper is French-folded Mulberry in yellow, orange, olive, solver, blue, brown and black. The cover and end sheets are Fabriano paper, hand sewn and bound by the printer.

“Leigh McLellan began her graphic design career as a student at the University of Iowa. There she designed books for the university press while learning letterpress printing and bookbinding, as well as designing posters for poetry and prose readings. In 1977, she moved to San Francisco and shortly began designing textbook front and back matter and learning dummying and layout of complex textbooks. Over the years, she has worked for many of the major publishers in the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as a number of self-publishers. Currently she works for small to medium-sized trade book publishers and many individuals. She has taught design, typography, and letterpress printing at the San Francisco Center for the Book, the Bookbuilders West Crash Course in Book Production, Mills College, and the University of California at Berkeley, among others.”

From 1974 to 1990, Leigh McLellan operated Meadow Press. Her letterpress work can be seen here. 

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–Sarah, Special Collections Graduate Intern